Three new Nadejdolepis Spasskii & Sasskaya, 1954 (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae) parasites of Charadrii (Aves) from Tasmania

Abstract

Three species of Nadejdcolepis from Tasmania, Australia, are described and illustrated. N. burgessi n. sp., a parasite of Charadrius ruficapillus, is 4-6 mm long, with rostellar nitiduloid hooks 63-66 microm long, a short evaginated cirrus 13-16 microm long with a short collar of thin spines 1 microm long, a narrow and tubular sclerotinoid vagina 40-50 long and 3-4 microm in diameter with a little ampulla 3-5 microm in diameter at the proximal end, and a membranous atrial segment with smooth, short (1 microm) and compact spines which are sometimes difficult to observe. N. smithi n. sp., a parasite of 40-50 long and 3-4 microm in diameter with a little ampulla 3-5 microm in diameter at the proximal end, and a membranous atrial segment with smooth, short (1 microm) and compact spines which are sometimes difficult to observe. N. smithi n. sp., a parasite of C. ruficapillus and Arenaria interpres, is 2-3.5 mm long, with rostellar nitiduloid hooks 90-98 microm long, a short evaginated cirrus (13 x 6.5 microm) with a short collar of thin 'bristles' of decreasing length (2-3 microm) and prolonged by a short and thin stylet, a sclerotinoid and conical vagina of 20 x 6 microm, with an ovoid ampulla 6-7 x 4-9 at its slender end, and a membranous atrial segment like that of the preceding species. N. kinsellai n. sp., a parasite of C. ruficapillus is 25-40(?) mm long, with rostellar nitiduloid hooks 89-93 microm long, a fusiform genital atrium 100 x 30 microm long with a very narrow pore, and a very long narrow cirrus-sac, which is cylindrical (not fusiform), has its aporal extremity lying in the preceding proglottis and has a slender uninterrupted wall without helicoid fibres. The poral extremity of the cirrus-sac is fastened by a long transverse muscle. An evaginated cirrus was not observed. The invaginated ejaculatory canal has two successive types of spines: a subterminal short portion (20-25 microm) with thick spines, followed by a long portion (100-120 microm) with numerous thin and compact 'bristles' 5 microm long. There is a very long convoluted spermatic duct (400-500 microm). The membranous tubular vagina is long (400-450 microm), thick-walled but not muscular and convoluted anterior to the distal part of the cirrus-sac; a chitinoid chamber, copulatory segment and sphincter are absent. Nadejdolepis species parasitic in Charadrii are reviewed. None of the species previously reported presents anatomical features similar to the three new species. N. kinsellai has morphological characters which differ in detail from other species in the genus. Hymenolepis (Hymenolepis) mudderbugtenensis Deblock & Rosé, 1962 is transferred to the genus Nadejdolepis.